Resident Librarian, UT Libraries

The UT Libraries is pleased to offer two positions in our three-year residency program for early career librarians and archivists. We seek prospective applicants looking to deepen their experience in the field of academic libraries and/or archives. The residency program will provide specialized training, continuing education, and mentorship based on the resident's professional interests and goals. Our program is based on a rotational model driven by the individual resident’s professional development goals. UT Libraries is a large organization and offers a wide variety of areas of specialization for rotations. The range of work experience gained through this position will enable the residents to build essential skills in the field of libraries and/or archives. The residents will receive dedicated professional development funds to support conference attendance. The residents serve as valued colleagues in the organization and will enrich UT Libraries by bringing in new ideas and perspectives, and contribute to strategic initiatives through project work. For more information, please see our LibGuide here: https://guides.lib.utexas.edu/residency-program

Responsibilities

• Development of a rotation plan and completion of project work assigned in each rotation.

• Learning, observation, and inquiry to gain a broad and deep understanding of how academic and research libraries operate.

• Professional development and skill-building.

• Professional service via participation in professional library and scholarly organizations and UT Libraries committees.

Program Structure:

A rotation plan for the first year will be collaboratively developed during orientation and will include rotating through at least two and up to four Libraries' units or areas, with opportunities for shorter observations in additional units. This first year allows the resident the opportunity to experience varied work opportunities. In the second year, the resident will focus on an area of specialization, deepening their skills and developing specialized experience in an area of their choice with the goal of being able to add one year of dedicated professional experience to their resume. In the third year, the resident will have the opportunity to continue their year two placement or select a new area of focus, and will receive mentorship and support in career development as well as dedicated time to apply to future positions.

Example rotation areas could include:

• Subject liaison librarianship and collection development

• Digital scholarship, scholarly communications, and data management

• Assessment and planning

• Library instruction and pedagogy

• Special collections, rare books, and archives

• Collections acquisitions and licensing

• Digitization and preservation

• Metadata and content description

Required Qualifications

• MLS, or equivalent, received in the last two years

• Demonstrated experience in establishing priorities, meeting deadlines, and organizing work effectively

• Demonstrated willingness to respond to opportunities

• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively

• Ability to work independently and efficiently

• Flexibility working in a fast-paced and evolving technological, team-oriented, and agile environment

• Strong interpersonal skills and effective communication skills, in person and in writing

• Interest in developing leadership skills

• Commitment to supporting academic and research needs of all students, faculty, and staff

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated willingness to respond to opportunities with leadership and troubleshoot challenges with initiative and creativity

• Experience providing exemplary customer service

• Previous library or archives experience

We want to emphasize that the preferred qualifications are not required and that we are committed to helping our future colleague develop these preferred skills.  

Salary Range

$52,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office and library conditions.

• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.

Work Shift

Monday-Friday, between the hours of 7am and 6pm as arranged with supervisor. Flexible work arrangements available, but regular onsite work is expected.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV

• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

• Letter of interest

During your application, you will be asked the following questions:

• How does your work, education, and/or life experience inform your approach to working in libraries or archives? 

• Describe two to three library or archival areas in which you would like to gain more experience. What specific skills do you hope to develop in each area? 

• Tell us about a goal you set for yourself. What steps did you take to achieve your goal? What challenges or setbacks did you encounter along the way and how did you handle them? Did you achieve your goal or did it evolve as you worked toward it? 

• Please describe your communication style. How have you adapted it to work with others who prefer a different style?